Report: Apple wants electric car by 2019

SUNNYVALE -- Apple has set a 2019 target date to unveil an electric car, according to a report Monday.

The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources in reporting that Apple is committed to building an electric car and plans to triple its 600-person team working on the project.

Apple declined to comment, but the report was the latest to confirm what a general partner at Google Ventures on Monday called the "worst kept secret" in the Bay Area.

"There are more people working on it than work at almost every startup," M.G. Siegler, a partner at Google's venture capital wing, wrote on Twitter.

Still, longtime Apple observers remained skeptical that the iPhone maker wants to get into the car manufacturing business.

The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is decorated for an Apple media event Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2015, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)

"I would be much more inclined to believe what Apple is doing is looking to become a dominant force for in-vehicle electronics, and be able to do integration between the car and all the other services they offer," said Van Baker, a San Jose-based analyst for Gartner Research. "Where the value comes is in the computing you put in the electric car."

Apple already has an Internet-connected dashboard, CarPlay, that turns cars into a mobile Web device and will be deployed in more new model vehicles in the coming year. The auto industry, however, has been slow in accepting CarPlay or rival Google's Android Auto -- in part because some carmakers are reluctant to cede control of the dashboard to Silicon Valley.

Another observer who has watched Apple since the late 1970s said he doubts the Cupertino company wants to take on Detroit or foreign carmakers, but he added that it "continues to surprise me."

"Apple was a computer company, but they've evolved more and more to be an electronics technology company heavily focused on consumers," said Tim Bajarin, president of San Jose-based tech consulting firm Creative Strategies. "This transformation has been going on for almost 20 years. When there were rumors of Apple trying a phone, a lot of us had trouble understanding why. Now we do."

He remains doubtful, he said, "only because trying to do an actual car, creating a manufacturing line, a sales structure and everything else, is a huge undertaking. To me it's more plausible they are creating a prototype car for the purpose of integrating Apple-related technology into the vehicle."

Even Google, which has worked for years on self-driving technology and already has a few dozen prototype robot cars riding through the streets of Mountain View and Austin, Texas, has said it does not intend to become a car manufacturer. But it recently hired an auto industry business veteran, former Hyundai executive John Krasnik, to lead its self-driving division.

On Friday, the California Department of Motor Vehicles disclosed that it met with Apple last month to talk about the state's rules for testing autonomous cars on public roads. Ten companies -- including Google and most major carmakers -- already have testing permits.

Apple also met in May with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to discuss the possibility of using the agency's GoMentum road testing facility at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, though the talks did not lead to an agreement to use the site.

Online resumes on LinkedIn show the company has been hiring engineers with experience in self-driving cars, powertrains, battery systems and other relevant automotive experience, though sources told the Journal that Apple does not intend to make its first electric car fully autonomous.

Sunnyvale permit records also reveal that Apple in recent months has been fortifying an office complex for its car team off North Wolfe Road, adding security fencing, vehicle access controls for a multi-story parking garage, an "auto work" area and other renovations.

In true Silicon Valley style, records show the remodel includes some recreational perks, such as a bocce court.

Contact Matt O'Brien at 408-920-5011. Follow him at Twitter.com/Mattoyeah.

Source: Report: Apple wants electric car by 2019

Tesla Model X: The Electric SUV Women Say They Want

Tesla displayed an interior refresh for their Model X at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Photo by Joe Nuxoll.

Enlarge Photo

First deliveries of the Tesla Model X electric crossover are expected to take place just over a week from now.

With production set to ramp up gradually after that, speculation will likely shift to whether the Model X will be as much of a success as the Model S.

And it's possible that women could be the deciding factor.

DON'T MISS: Will Tesla Model X Success Depend On Women Buying The Electric SUV?

Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] designed its first utility vehicle in part to suit the tastes of female drivers, and is betting that women will account for a large chunk of sales, according to Bloomberg.

Early in the design process, Tesla reportedly invited a dozen women to its headquarters in Palo Alto, California, for a three-hour focus group with chief designer Franz von Holzhausen.

When the Model S launched in 2012, demand skewed towards male buyers, but that has changed somewhat.

2014 Tesla Model X all-electric crossover with 'Falcon Doors' open

Enlarge Photo

In 2012, women accounted for just 13.3 percent of U.S. Model S registrations, but in 2014 they accounted for 21.5 percent, according to research firm IHS Automotive.

Adding a crossover to the lineup is seen as key to attracting even more women to the brand.

"Women dominate the crossover SUV segment," Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds told Bloomberg.

ALSO SEE: Tesla Model X Range: EPA Estimates Now 250 Miles, Company Says

They account for 40 percent of U.S. new-car sales, but they buy 53 percent of small SUVs and 48 percent of small premium SUVs, according to J.D. Power & Associates.

While the Model X is more of a mid-size to large vehicle (the NHTSA hasn't classified it by size as yet), Tesla expects sales to reflect those trends.

CEO Elon Musk previously said more than half of orders for the Model X have come from female buyers.

Tesla Model X prototype [by Tesla Motors Club forum user Mulder1231]

Enlarge Photo

Audi may be taking a similar approach by going with a crossover model for its first mass-production, all-electric vehicle.

Previewed by the e-tron quattro concept that debuted last week at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, the battery-electric Audi Q6 e-tron will start production in 2018.

MORE: Audi e-Tron Quattro Concept: 2018 Q6 Electric Car Previewed At Frankfurt Motor Show

The first Model X deliveries will take place September 29.

A handful of vehicles will be handed over to their owners at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California.

However, production may not fully ramp up until later this year, or possibly even early next year.

_______________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Source: Tesla Model X: The Electric SUV Women Say They Want

Electric Vehicle Car Rally

WESTFIELD – Electric vehicle drivers, enthusiasts, and intrigued local residents descended on the parking lot of 465 E. Main Street Westfield on Saturday for a ribbon cutting and Electric Vehicle Car Rally sponsored by the Westfield Gas + Electric.

This event was designed to further the City of Westfield's green initiatives and celebrate Westfield's new Level 2 commercial charging stations in that parking area.

Source: Electric Vehicle Car Rally

Electric Car Sales = 26% Of New Car Sales In August In Norway

Cars

Published on September 19th, 2015 | by Zachary Shahan

September 19th, 2015 by Zachary Shahan 

Originally published on EV Obsession.

I've finally got what seems to be official and complete data on electric car registrations in Norway. Woohoo! (In case you haven't been following along for years, public data on electric car sales/registrations are not available for all models in practically every large country in the world.) However, last month, a reader tipped me off to an obscure (and time-consuming) way for obtaining Norway electric car sales by model.

The data I've collected comes from doing simple calculations based on data presented on Grønn Bil, which I think originally comes from Ofvas (but is not presented on its website). It seems to include "personal" as well as "commercial" registrations.

The main story in Norway is that the Volkswagen e-Golf is absolutely crushing the competition. For the year to date, it has more than twice the registrations of the #2 Nissan LEAF.

The Tesla Model S is right behind the Nissan LEAF at #3, but it was #6 in August. #4 for the year to date is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (with a solid lead ahead of the #5 Audi A3 e-tron), but it was again far below that in August, sitting at #7 (and the e-tron was even further down, at #10).

The cars that moved up a lot in August relative to earlier in the year were the Kia Soul EV (#3 in August, #7 year to date), BMW i3 (#4 in August, #8 YTD), and Volkswagen Golf GTE (#5 in August, #10 YTD).

Interesting changes. And it will be interesting to see what happens when the 2016 LEAF (with 107 miles of range) hits the market. Can it take back #1 from the VW e-Golf? Also, how will the Tesla Model X do once production gets rolling? I'll venture to say quite well.

By the way, electric car sales seemed to account for ~26% of all new car sales in Norway in August and 25% for the year through August — but I say "seemed to" because I'm not entirely sure if the source of all new car sales is including commercial sales or not (but I think this says that the number does include commercial sales).

Here are the full charts and table:

  Don't own or lease an electric car but want to? Complete our EV owner wannabe survey! Have an electric car? Complete our EV owner/lessee survey! Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter. 

Tags: audi, Audi A3 e-tron, BMW, BMW i3, bmw i8, Chevy Volt, Citroen, Citroen Berlingo EV, Citroen C-Zero, daimler, EV sales, Ford, ford focus electric, GM, kia, Kia Soul EV, Mercedes, Mercedes 350e, Mercedes B-Class Electric, Mercedes S500 PHEV, Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Mitsubishi Outlander Plug In Hybrid, Nissan, nissan e-NV200, Nissan Leaf, norway, Norway EV Sales, Opel, Opel Ampera, Peugeot, peugeot ion, Peugeot Partner EV, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, renault, Renault Kangoo ZE, Renault Twizy, renault zoe, Smart Electric Drive, Tesla Model S, Toyota, toyota prius PHEV, Toyota RAV4 EV, volkswagen, volkswagen e up!, Volkswagen e-Golf, Volkswagen Golf GTE, volvo, Volvo V60 PHEV, Volvo XC90 T8

About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species) one letter at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of EV Obsession, Gas2, Solar Love, Planetsave, or Bikocity; or as president of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, energy storage, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media: ZacharyShahan.com, .

Source: Electric Car Sales = 26% Of New Car Sales In August In Norway

Apple is already talking about its plans for a self-driving car with DMV officials in California

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueApple CEO Tim Cook listens to U.S. President Barack Obama speak at the Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University in Palo Alta, California February 13, 2015. See Also Some people think Apple now has 'veto power' over the web A new drone video has revealed more of Apple's giant 'Campus 2' office If Google and Apple are really making cars, they should turn to India first

Apple met with officials from California's Department of Motor Vehicles to discuss plans regarding the self-driving car it's believed to be developing, according to a new report from The Guardian's Mike Harris. 

The documents indicate that Mike Maletic, a senior legal counsel at Apple, held an hour-long meeting with Bernard Soriano, the DMV's deputy director, Stephanie Daugherty, chief of strategic planning, and Brian Soublet, the DMV's deputy director and chief of counsel.

Both Soriano and Daugherty are cosponsors of the state's autonomous driving project, as The Guardian notes.

The DMV also confirmed to the publication that the meeting with Apple was held to review the department's autonomous vehicle regulations, but didn't disclose any further details about what was discussed.

The report comes about a month after The Guardian reported that Apple had begun seeking out a testing facility for its autonomous vehicle.

Rumors that Apple has been developing its own self-driving car have been swirling for months. Apple has made several hires over the past several months that indicate it's indeed working on some type of electric car. Doug Betts, formerly of Fiat Chrysler, joined the company in July, for instance. The first report suggesting that Apple has plans to work on a car of its own came from The Wall Street Journal back in February, and rumors have been circulating ever since.

Apple's self-driving car project is believed to be called Project Titan, and a design of the car looks similar to that of a minivan, reported The Wall Street Journal. The initiative is reportedly being led by Steve Zadesky, who oversaw the production of the iPhone and iPod and previously worked at Ford.

Apple hasn't publicly discussed or confirmed any plans to get into the auto industry. But the reports come at a time when Google and Uber are both entering the autonomous driving space.

Jeff Williams, Apple's vice president of operations, suggested that the car is of interest to Apple in an interview with Re/code's Walt Mossberg, calling the car the "ultimate mobile device." He later clarified that this was in reference to CarPlay, Apple's connected car software, but his comments sparked speculation nonetheless.

When Apple CEO was asked whether or not the company is working on a self-driving car on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," he simply replied:

"We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies in a few of them." 

SEE ALSO: We just learned a new detail about the iPhone 6S that explains why it'll perform faster NOW WATCH: All the incredibly useful things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Source: Apple is already talking about its plans for a self-driving car with DMV officials in California

Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

Your email was sent successfully.

Close

]]>

We're now in the middle of National Drive Electric Week, the largest ever, with events planned for almost 200 cities.

But yesterday Los Angeles managed to pull off a double-header: Its event brought together the first production versions of the new 107-mile 2016 Nissan Leaf and a running prototype of the upcoming 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

To the best of our knowledge, it's the first time the two have ever been in the same place at the same time. And we've got the photos.

DON'T MISS: Drive Electric Week Larger Than Ever: 165 Cities, 3 Countries, Starting Sep 12

Each car provides greater range than before, and together they point to a future of affordable and much longer-range electric cars.

Many of the attendees were aware of the upcoming longer-range vehicles, and the event logged more than 800 test drives despite the day's scorching heat.

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Zan Scott]

Enlarge Photo

Speakers included Calif state Senator Kevin de León, electric-car advocate and racing driver Leilani Munter, film director Chris Paine (of Who Killed The Electric Car? and Revenge of The Electric Car), numerous elected officials, representatives from GM and Nissan, Michael Brune of the Sierra Club, and Plug-In America executive director Joel Levin.

"Electric cars are changing the world; every time one of these vehicles gets sold, our air gets a little cleaner," said Levin.

ALSO SEE: 2016 Nissan Leaf Offers 107-Mile Range With 30-kWh Battery; Leaf S Unchanged

"We will take a big bite out of climate change," he continued. "Our economy will not be subject to wild swings in gas prices."

"And we will not be involved in foreign wars over oil."

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Jeff U'ren]

Enlarge Photo

The City of Los Angeles gave official proclamations to Paine, for his two movies, and to the three groups that organize National Drive Electric Week: the Electric Automobile Association, Plug-In America, and the Sierra Club.

But it was the cars that were the lure, especially the two newest vehicles.

The 2016 Nissan Leaf, announced last Thursday and arriving at dealerships sometime next month, offers 107 miles of range from a new 30-kilowatt-hour battery pack in the SV and SL trim levels.

MORE: GM Shows Chevy Bolt EV Electric-Car Prototypes Testing: Video

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Our readers Keith Kemp and Tyrel Haverman point out that we described the pricing of the 2016 Leaf versus the prior year's model incorrectly. The sentences below reflect their corrections, for which we thank them.]

The longer-range Leaf SV model actually costs slightly less than its comparable 84-mile version last year, because Nissan has made DC quick-charging standard.

A 2016 Leaf SV is $380 cheaper than a comparable 2015 model. A high-end 2016 Leaf SL costs $1,000 more than the previous year's model; both have DC quick-charging fitted as standard equipment.

While the prices of those vehicles are $1,600 to $2,000 higher than their comparable 84-mile versions last year ...

The 20-percent range increase makes the 2016 Leaf the longest-range affordable electric car.

2016 Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV at Drive Electric Week event, Los Angeles [photo: Zan Scott]

Enlarge Photo

The Chevrolet Bolt EV was announced at the Detroit Auto Show last January, with General Motors CEO Mary Barra saying it would have a range of 200 miles and a base price of $37,500 before incentives.

That is expected to reset the bar for electric car range, and put significant pressure on Nissan for its second-generation Leaf, anticipated as a 2017 or 2018 model.

MORE: GM Officially Confirms It Will Build Chevy Bolt Electric Car With 200-Mile Range

We'll cover the totality of National Drive Electric Week once it's over and the organizers have tallied up its effects.

A 107-mile Leaf now, or a 200-mile Bolt EV sometime in the future?

From what we hear, attendees at the Los Angeles event were tantalized by the question--with Nissan and Chevy both curious to see how buyers make their choices.

_________________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Source: Chevy Bolt EV, 107-Mile Nissan Leaf Face Off At LA Drive Electric Week (UPDATE On Leaf Pricing)

Audi’s e-tron quattro electric SUV: 310 mile range, arrives in 2018

Audi

The Audi e-tron quattro concept. A production version is due in 2018

Audi

The Audi e-tron quattro concept. A production version is due in 2018

Audi

It might not look it, but that shape is remarkably efficient, with a Cd of just 0.25.

Audi

We think Audi have something against completely round steering wheels.

Over in Europe, the annual Frankfurt International Motor Show is taking place, and several of the brands that live under the Volkswagen AG umbrella have used the show to reveal electric vehicle (EV) concept cars that trail future production models. One of these is the Audi e-tron quattro, a 310-mile (500km) SUV that will reach the showroom by 2018.

The Audi e-tron quattro has a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels and another motor driving the front wheels. These give the car a total of 429hp (320kW), with an extra 67hp/50kW available as a boost function for short periods. Coupled with an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.25, it should be good for 0-62 mph (0-100kp/h) in 4.5 seconds, making it one quick SUV.

The e-tron quattro will have 95kWh batteries, and Audi says the car can be fully recharged in about 50 minutes with DC power. Given how rapidly EV batteries are developing, it's even possible the production version will pack more of a punch.

The e-tron quattro also features a solar panel on the roof for capitalizing on free power during sunny days, and has a wireless induction charging feature similar to the Qualcomm Halo system we saw earlier this year.

Listing image by Audi

Source: Audi's e-tron quattro electric SUV: 310 mile range, arrives in 2018